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Internet access as a human right

Five countries have now declared internet access as a fundamental human right. Four of these countries are in Europe (Estonia, Finland, France and Greece) and one is in Central America (Costa Rica). Interestingly, there is quite a range of internet penetration rates between these countries:

Costa Rica: 43%Estonia: 75%Finland: 85%France: 69%Greece: 46%

It is likely that there will soon be other additions to this list. There is actually a strong push for universal internet access by major international organisations. The secretary-general of the ITU, for example, stated that governments should “regard the internet as basic infrastructure - just like roads, waste, and water.” A recent BBC World Service poll found that 79% of people, in a poll of 27,000 people conducted across 26 countries, consider internet access to be a fundamental right. It will therefore be interesting to see how this map changes over the next few years. Please provide feedback on any changes that should be made to this list.